Dumb Questions

I have been known to tell my students: "The only dumb question is the one I don't know the answer to."

In my first undergraduate physics class, as a student, I noticed that there was one kid who sat in front who asked a lot of stupid questions. After he got the best score on the first exam, I decided that I might need to revise my world view. Since that time, I've tried to become a dedicated asker of dumb questions - which is to say, when I can't follow the speaker's reasoning, I ask him to explain it. My adherence to this principle was greatly reinforced when I learned that Feynman espoused a similar notion.

Arun has discovered a quote from David Frum on a related topic:

A president does not need to know everything. In fact, it's certainly impossible for him (or her) to know everything that he might possibly need to know. That's what the White House staff - and beyond them the whole vast apparatus of the US government - is for. Collectively, the US government knows a lot. And all of that knowledge is at the service and disposal of the president. All the president has to do is - is ask.

But that's not as easy as it sounds.

Somebody who knew President Bush well once remarked to me. "You'll notice he never asks questions."

"Why not?" I said.

"Because he doesn't know what it's okay for him not to know."


Does this capture the essence of incurious George or what?

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